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Suspects In the Beating of War Veteran Released From Prison

Gevorg Sargsyan, known by the nickname "Jungle", and his nephew Sargis Ghukasyan were released from prison several days ago, reports local daily Hraparak. The two men were accused of brutally beating Karabakh War veteran Vardan Tumanyan, 55, in the Yerevan administrative district of Nor Nork in July 2014. After the beating, the war veteran died, while а follow-up examination showed that Tumanyan's death was caused by a birth defect.

Hraparak spoke to Tumanyan's wife, Tanya Melkonyan: “Basically, they surprised us. They revealed to us on Christ's Revelation day that those murderers were set free. Today, those investigators, prosecutors, and committees are forcing me to commit a genocide on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide; to throw a grenade inside their homes, or bomb their cars when they are in it…they are provoking me.”

The dispute between Vardan Tumanyan and one of the men in the neighbordhood, Babken, began in the yard when Babken got into an argument with his friend with whom he was playing chess, and Vardan intervened, which Babken didn't like. He attacked Vardan with the chess board. Vardan pushed Babken, who a few minutes later sent for his son, Gevorg Sargsyan, "Jungle", who worked as a guard at Ella nightclub in Nor Nork. Sargsyan and his friends invited Vardan for a talk, demanded an apology, and when Vardan asked for what, they began to beat him in the yard, right before the eyes of his wife and daughter.  

The Police initiated a criminal case; Gevorg Sargsyan and his nephew Sargis Ghukasyan were arrested. 

According to the first forensic examination, Tumanyan died as a result of injuries caused by the beating. However, a new committee was formed for a follow-up examination, headed by expert Fanarjyan.

Tumanyan's wife, Tanya, is demanding a third examination with the participation of an independent foreign expert, because, Melkonyan alleged, the defendants bribed the experts during the second examination.